Souls Through Time
by StrongerThanILook0616
Summary: Meet Amelia, 18 year old assassin born in Florence, Italy 1459 who is struggling to complete her fathers dying wish with the help of a few friends. Meet Claire, 27 year old assassin born in who knows where in 1982 who is struggling to keep the Templars from taking over the world. They are one and the same. Follow the story of Amelia through Claire's eyes.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Red. The color of anger. The color of blood. The only color she could see as she knelt next to her fathers body. The pool of blood had reached her toes as she stood there in shock. The wound on his stomach was fatal and the flower of red that came from it only proved that fact.

Hopeless. There was nothing she could do to save him. All she could do was ease his passing but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Taking lives of men she didn't know had stopped phasing her long ago but to take the life of a loved one seemed impossible.

"Amelia.., "the man choked out, holding his hand as high as he could. In an instant she was kneeling in the red pool, gripping her fathers hand like a lifeline. "I'm sorry my dear...It seems my time is up." he whispered.

"Pappa, please, don't go." she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

"I must. Now listen to me. You must finish what I started. Take the codex pages to Giovanni Audi tore. His family will help you." he stuttered out. Blood was trickling out of the corner of his mouth and his breathing was becoming more and more labored,

"I-I-I w-will." she choked out between sobs. "I'm s-s-sorry I wasn't here in time." this was all her fault. She was supposed to be there to back him up but she hadn't been fast enough and now she was watching her bestfriend fade away in her arms.

"Do not spend the rest of your life blaming yourself for this. It wasn't your fault." He told her, lifting his hand to cup her cheek. She could feel the slick blood rubbing off on her cheek as his stained fingers came in contact with her tanned skin. "I am so proud of you my daughter. Stay strong for you are an assassin now." His hand fell from her face and she could see the light in his eyes fade until there was no life left in them. The hand that was in her own was now limp and it fell from her hand, splashing in the pool of blood.

Moments went by as she stared at her fathers lifeless body before her. He was gone. He had joined her mother in the afterlife and she was alone. She had nothing and no one to comfort her now. So she did the only thing she could think of to rid her of her grief. She screamed.

The ear piercing scream that erupted from her throat was inhuman and full of turmoil. She bent over her fathers body until her forged rested where the blade had pierced his armor. Sobs shook her body as she held on to him, praying he would come back. She knew he wouldn't though. She knew he was gone and he wasn't ever coming back.

The night faded away into the sunrise and Amelia found herself standing on a dock, bow in her hand with a flaming arrow prepared to fire. Out on the water was a small boat with her fathers body resting on a bed of hay. With her years of practiced aim she fired. The arrow hit its mark and she watched as the boat went up in flames.

Before she had laid her father to rest she had removed their family crest from around his neck. His sword and dagger now rested in her hip, the weight feeling foreign as she had her own weapons on the opposite side. She had also removed his bracer that had the traditional hidden blade. She now had two but her fathers would need to be tailored to fit her forearm properly.

She stood there on the dock until the flames of the boat sunk below the water and the sun had come above the horizon. She put aside her grief and loss, locking it away in the depths of her heart. She would not allow it to get in the way of the tasks that lay at her feet. She was determined to avenge her father and complete the work that he had started with Giovanni Auditore as it would have it. A name she had not heard in a long time.

Her fathers dying wish had her returning home to collect the codex pages and all that she needed. She knew that she would be abandoning her family's palazzo but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. Giovanni was her only hope in her quest to complete her mission and she would do everything necessary to accomplish her goal. No matter the cost.

"I'm going home." She whispered.


	2. Chapter 1 - Claire

Chapter 1 - Claire

2009

She pulled the motorcycle into the warehouse, quickly closing the garage door behind her. She pulled the bike past all the cargo to her spot near the truck. She had to stop short of parking though as she found a silver sedan parked in her spot. Glaring at the vehicle she pulled up next to it and shut the engine off. She sat there a moment looking at the foreign car in curiosity. It was empty and she had noticed the lack of plates on the back when she pulled up. With this information in mind she realized that the extraction had gone smoothly. Which meant that Lucy was back.

She could hear footsteps coming down the metal ramp leading to the upper deck and she sighed. She had left without permission and Shaun was bound to be uptight about it. She dismounted the bike, swinging her right leg over the back to land firmly on the ground on the left side. Pulling the keys from the ignition she twirled them around her index finger twice before pocketing them in her padded jacket.

"Where have you been?!" The familiar British accented voice yelled at her as he approached.

"Shaun leave it be. She's been cooped up for months." She heard Rebecca call from above her. Seems Becca didn't want to get in between her and Shaun again. 'Smart girl' she thought to herself.

She turned around and nearly laughed at the sight of the computer analyst that was storming towards her. His face was red and his brows were creased, giving him a rather cross look. She left all of her gear on and crossed her arms.

"Are you going to explain yourself?" He asked stopping in front of her. She snorted and pulled the back pack off of her back. She walked by him, shoving the bag into his arms as she walked by. She made for the ramps and found Becca on the second landing who followed her as she passed. They climbed the rest of the ramps up to the space they had converted into a workspace.

Off to the left was Shaun's workspace. A simple desk with a laptop and a wall covered in papers. And to the right was Rebecca's area. The open had worked well in their favor and with that space they had been able to construct two newer Animus'. Both work stations were set closer to the front of the room. To the back of the room was a small kitchenette in the back left corner and in the back right corner was a queen sized bed.

It was the back right corner that caught her eye as she entered. There on the bed say a man with tanned skin and a scar on his upper lip. He was wearing a white hoodie and jeans. He looked lost and she understood that this must have been the man they were trying to get from Abstergo. She felt sympathy for him, knowing what he had been through.

In front of the man was a petite blonde pacing back and forth. As soon as she entered the room with Rebecca the girl stopped and looked at her. Lucy. She scoffed into her helmet and didn't mutter so much as a hello as she moved past Lucy to the table in the kitchen. She pulled her keys and wallet from her pockets and tossed them onto the table. Reaching up she untied the chin strap and pulled her helmet off. Her bangs fell to the left side of her face as she blew them out of her eyes.

"You went out for food!" Shaun yelled, rushing into the room. She looked over at him with a bored expression on her face, as if to say so what. "You do realize that you are our most valuable team member! If Abstergo gets their hands on you again we are done for! Every..." He stopped talking as she unzipped her jacket, showing him that fact that she was prepared. She had two 9mm pistols sheathed in a black leather vest holster. Similar to what a detective would wear under a suit jacket. She hung the jacket on the back of the chair in front of her before reaching back to pull two more 9mm pistols from her waist band.

"I can take care of myself Shaun." She said, she glanced over at their new recruit and gave him a wink. The best way to shut Shaun up when he was harping on her for leaving was to show him she had weapons on her. Next she put her booted foot up on the table and pulled a 8in dagger from the sheath that was hidden in her boot. She twirled it around before jamming it into the table. "And don't talk to me about Abstergo like I don't know what would happen if they captured me. I know full well what that would mean for the assassins."

The room was silent for a good three minutes before Shaun finally walked into the kitchen to plate the food. She sighed and removed the last bit of her gear from her body. By the time she was done she stood by the table in nothing more than her black jeans, tucked into knee high black leather boots and a black form fitting tank top.

"Claire right?" Lucy walked over to her, hand out for a handshake. She looked down at the girls hand and then back up at the girl, her face clearly saying she wasn't going to shake it.

"Yes. You must be Lucy." She replied once the girl had dropped her hand.

"It's good to see you again." Lucy said and she just hummed in response. She had never been a fan of Lucy. There was just something off about the girl that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Anyway...this is our new recruit, Desmond Miles." Lucy introduced. The man on the bed stood up and offered his hand to her. Instead of taking his hand she grasped his forearm in an assassins greeting.

"Nice ink." Desmond said, pointing to the tattoo on her chest. She smirked looking down at what she could see of the marking. She had two tattoos that were visible. The first was the assassins symbol on her chest. It's tips touched the hollow of her neck and its base dipped into her shirt marking the top half of her breasts. The second was the golden brown Eagles wings that sprouted from between her shoulder blades and extended all the way to each wrist.

"Did you see my wings?" She asked him, letting go of his forearm. He shook his head and she smirked at him before turning around and holding her arms out for him to see.

"Their beautiful." He told her. Her arms dropped to her sides and she turned to give him a smile.

"Thank you." She replied. "Now have you had all the introductions?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Well, we will start with Shaun since you've witnesses his short temper." They chuckled as she lead Desmond over to Shaun's workspace. "This is Shaun Hastings our resident historian. As you go through the memories of your ancestor he will be there to write Database entries about the different people and place, places and event that are of significance."

"Sounds like fun." Desmond said, half heartedly and Shaun glared at him. She chuckled and steered the new recruit over to the second station in the room.

"And this if my dear friend Rebecca Crane. She is the glue that keeps this operation running smoothly. She had the pleasure of building these babies." She explained, patting the two Animus seats.

"I like to think of them as the Animus 2.0. They are better and faster than the ones that Abstergo has." Rebecca informed Desmond.

"Why are their two seats?" Desmond asked and she smiled at Rebecca.

"That's the fun part. Rebecca found a way to sync two 'pilots' as you could say and if they have ancestors that have met in the past they can sync their memories together." She explained and he looked at her in amazement. "That's where I come in. I'm your co-pilot. Lucy discovered that Abstergo had learned of your ancestors through my time at Abstergo and when I escaped they gave up trying to find me and found you instead. We still aren't sure what their goal is in all of this but we do know that they are looking for something. Something. That our ancestors came into contact with."

"So we have to live through these memories to figure out what they are looking for so we can find it before they do?" Desmond asked, looking like he understood what was going on.

"Exactly. Now you don't have to do this if you don't want to but it would mean a lot to us and the assassins." She explained, hoping he would be alright with what they were asking.

"You guys are asking me to go back into that thing?" He asked looking unsure.

"Yes but you won't be alone this time. When our ancestors cross paths I'll be there to help you." She reassured him.

"Alright. Let's do this then." He replied, sitting down in the slightly bigger chair. She cheered and sat down in the second animus giddy to finally try this out. "And we know this works?" Desmond asked as Lucy approached with the needle.

"No. We don't." She sobered and looked over at him. She could tell that he was nervous to be going into a homemade animus. "Ready?" She asked, putting her hand out for him to grab if he felt that it would help.

"Ready." He said confidently, taking her hand as Lucy and Rebecca stuck the needles in at the same time. He squeezed her hand at the pain and a small smile twitched at the edge of her lips as she leaned her head back and lost herself I the memories of her ancestor.


	3. Chapter 2 - Amelia

Chapter 2 - Amelia

1466

Age: 7-8

"Ezio! Wait up you're going too fast!" She yelled, running as fast as her little feet could carry her to catch up to the boy. Up ahead the boy stopped and turned too look at her.

"Come on Amelia! You'll miss it!" He told her as she got closer. Before she could reach him though he took off again and she was forced to push herself even harder to stay caught up. It was just after dinner and after spending the day together they wanted to finish it out by watching the sunset.

"Come on little one. You can make it." She heard behind her and she didn't have to look to know that it was Federico who was encouraging her. Giovanni had refused to allow the two of them to go by themselves and so Federico had volunteered to escort them to the docks.

"I'm not that little." She protested and the elder Auditore brother laughed. He was barely winded from the exercise.

It didn't take long for them to reach the docks. By the time she caught up to her friend she found him sitting on the edge of the dock with his feet dangling over the edge. She quickly joined him and leaned her head on his shoulder to catch her breath. Once caught her breath she looked around to find that the sun was just beginning to set and the sight was beautiful. Oranges, purples, pinks and red were beginning to paint the blue sky and she smiled at the warmth it brought her just to see such a thing. It would be a while before she would get the chance to do something like this again.

"I don't want to leave." She said quietly to her companion. Ezio looked over at her with a sad look on his face.

"I don't want you to leave either. Will you visit again soon?" He asked her, looking down at his feet.

"Father says that it could be a few years before we visit again. His business is taking him away and I have to stay home to continue my studies." She grumbled, kicking at the water below her feet. She could just barely touch the surface of the water with her toes.

"Years?" He exclaimed and she nodded her head. "Promise you will write to me?"

"I will write my first as soon as I get home." She smiled at him and he returned the smile before the two of them looked out over the water to watch the sun set.

Behind them Federico gave them a fond smile. He was the eldest of the Auditore siblings and he could see that Ezio and Amelia had grown close over the last month that she had been staying with them. He knew his brother was devastated to see his friend go. However he knew that no matter how much time went by their friendship would always be there, ready to pick up right where they left off.

1474 - Eight Years Later

Age:15-16

The clashing of metal could be heard from outside the Palazzo de (Italian surname). To any civilian in the streets they would think that the guards were fighting someone when that wasn't the case. In the back courtyard of the Palazzo two figures could be seen dancing on the cobblestone, locked in a rehearsed set of maneuvers as blunted blades clashed. A man stood in the shadows of the doorway, watching the two figures battle for dominance with a proud smile on his face.

"You are getting slow Alonzo!" The smaller figure taunted, as she landed a blow to his left side. The larger figure retaliated and returned the favor, easily getting past her defenses.

"And you my apprentice are getting cocky." The man replied. She laughed and blocked a blow aimed for her head, spinning under his blade. She came out of the spin behind him and jabbed the end of her blade into his back.

"Or just more skilled with age." She retorted and ducked as he spun around, waving his blade as is to cut her in half. In his distraction she managed to reach up from under him and grab his wrist, bending it to the point where he dropped his sword. For a final touch she swept her leg at him as he backed up and he fell on his backside with a loud thud. She held her sword to his throat with a triumphant smirk on her face. The man in the doorway began to clap, breaking the girls concentration. Her head snapped in his direction and she dropped her sword to the ground and rushed towards him.

"Father!" She exclaimed, crashing into him with her arms around his neck. "Your letter said you would not be back for another week." She pulled away to look him over as she always did, to make sure he was alright.

"Well maybe I lied to surprise you." He replied and she gave him a right hook to his arm.

"What did I say about the lying?! Plus you know I hate surprises." She pouted. He laughed and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her towards the front of the house.

"You have improved greatly since I left." He told her, and she beamed at him.

"Well it has been two years since I last saw you." She replied and he gave her a look that she had seen before. He knew she didn't like it when he left her here on her own to train with the 'servants' but she didn't have much say in the matter.

"I brought you something." He told her, choosing to ignore her last comment as he led her to his study. She looked at him funny but he said nothing as he opened the door to his study.

The room was a rather large with a fire place at the far end and a desk that sat in the center. A picture of ancient ruins hung above the fireplace and each wall was a floor to ceiling bookshelf, each filled to the brim with books. What caught hear attention though was the large mahogany chest that sat on his desk. She looked at her father with a questioning look and he nodded at her. Satisfied with that signal she ran forward and lifted the lid of the chest. She took on glance at what was inside and gasped.

"Father...are you sure I am ready?" She asked, turning to face him as he came to stand beside her.

"An assassin never finishes their training." He told her. "You are to go with me on my next assignment." He told her and she looked up at him wide eyed.

"Oh father I am honored." She said softly, not sure what to do with herself.

"You need the exposure and it will do you some good to see the world outside of this palazzo." He chuckled.

"When do we leave?" She asked, reaching into the chest to feel the fabric of the robes.

"Tonight." She looked up at him to make sure he was being serious and there was no mistake in his words. "Go get changed." He told her.

She grabbed the chest and without struggle she hefted it up the stairs and into her room. Piece by piece she pulled the armor out of the chest and laid it out on her bed. In total for armor she had one set one set of greaves, and one set of vambraces, a chest plate and a shoulder plate that would cover her left side. With the armor came a brand new sword, dagger and a set of throwing knives that would come in handy. Finally, at the bottom of the chest was the traditional assassins hidden blade.

As fast as she could without hurting herself she changed into the assassins robes and equipped herself with all of the weapons she had found in the chest. She stood before the mirror in her room and she barely recognized the girl she saw in the mirror. The robes we a bit big but she knew her father had done that so she could grow into them. The weapons combined with the weapons gave her a matured look that she had not expected. She quickly pulled her hair into a loose side braid and finally pulled the hood up over her head to complete the look.

She was finally an assassin.


	4. Chapter 3 - Amelia

Chapter 3 - Amelia

1476 - Florence, Italy

Two Years Later

Age: 17-18

The city gates loomed over her as she dismounted her horse and handed it off to the stable boy. She paid him the amount he asked and made her way into the city. It had been ten years since she had been to the city she had grown up in. Her father had moved them outside the city gates after her mother died when she was little. However her original home was in the heart of the city near the Palazzo de Auditore and that was where her father had allowed mercenaries to live and guard the codex pages he had collected over the years.

Despite the fact that she hadn't been there in years her feet took her exactly where she needed to go. She soon found herself standing in the small courtyard of here old home and it brought a warmth to her heart that it hadn't changed very much in the time that she had been gone with her father. The mercenaries had done a good job of keeping it well kept to her surprise. She walked into the house without so much as a knock and wasn't surprised when she found a dagger at her throat.

"Who are you and what do you want?" The man sneered, pulling her into the house and slamming her against the wall. The door closed with a thud and she took a moment to catch her breath. Slowly and with an open palm she lifted her hand to pull the hood of her robes down. Immediately the man backed off and was apologizing profusely for his actions.

"It is alright. I deserved that for walking in unannounced." She chuckled.

"It has been some time since a you or your father came here we thought the worst." The mercenary told her and she gave him a sad smile.

"I am here for that reason. He passed not a month ago." She told the man. "My fathers dying instructions were to bring the codex pages to Giovanni Auditore as soon as possible."

"I fear you may be too late. Him and his boys where arrested this morning and will stand trial in the morning." He informed her.

"On what grounds!" She demanded.

"They did not say my lady. They will surely announce it in the morning but I fear the worst." He replied.

"Where are the pages?" She asked, desperate to get out of the house and into the city to track down Maria and Claudia if possible. If not she would have to wait until morning to witness the trial.

"This way." The mercenary replied and walked up the stairs to the house. He led her into her father old study and to the fireplace where he pushed one of the bricks in. Suddenly one of the panels beside the fireplace fell away and opened into a lit hallway. She followed it down to a secret room where she found a chest. In the chest were the papers she was looking for and she quickly rolled them up and tucked them away into the inner pocket of her robes.

She left the palazzo, thanking the men for taking care of her home. She stood outside the main gate for some time, trying to decide what she wanted to do. Her first thought was to visit the Palazzo de Auditore from the street but she didn't want them to see her. Not like this. So she resolved to finding her way to their home from the rooftops.

Having decided her path she looked at her surroundings and wasn't surprised to find many of the civilians looking at her. Some glare at her, while others just gave her a quizzical look. She returned the looks with a blank stare once she realized that it was her appearance that was gaining their attention. She rolled her eyes and approached the wall of her family's palazzo. Gazing up the wall she saw her path would be an easy one and she quickly began her ascent to the roof. The gasps and murmurs of the crowd didn't go unnoticed but she ignored them, hoping that they wouldn't alert some guards.

Once she had her feet firmly planted on the shingles of her home she could see where she needed to go. She headed south, towards the Auditore banners that were flying in the sky. She made quick work of the distance between their palazzos and upon landing on their roof she was appalled at the sight before her. Their courtyard was in ruins. The once beautiful flower beds were torn to bits and the main door had been ripped from its hinges. She could only assume that it was the work of the city guards who had arrested Giovanni and the boys.

Movement below caught her attention and she ducked into the shadows. Coming from the main entrance to the palazzo was a figure dressed similarly to her. From the figures build she knew he was male. Had someone sent another assassins to rescue the Auditores?

"You! Halt! You're the one that got away!" A guard from outside the palazzo yelled.

"Are you here to arrest me in my own home as you did my father and brothers?" The figure spoke and she somehow recognized the voice, but she couldn't place a name to it.

"No. We are here to kill you Ezio Auditore." She stood there in shock. This was Ezio? He was an assassin too? But he was so innocent. She knew that Federico had known about his fathers work but to her knowledge of the last time she saw him he had no clue of what his father truly did.

She watched the guards advance on him and he drew his sword. The first guard attacked and she found that Ezio knew how to use the blade that was in his hand but he was sloppy. As if he were new to the sport. He nearly tripped over his own feet several times and that was when she knew. These robes were not his. They were his father. He had no idea what he was doing or what was going on. She kept and eye on the second guard and when he went to attack Ezio's back she acted. She chose to stay out of sight and threw a knife at the man. She hit her target in the neck and his gurgling caught Ezio's attention after her had killed his opponent. He looked up and for a moment they made eye contact. She froze, not knowing what to do. She felt that it wasn't the right moment to reveal herself and so she did the only thing she's could think of. She ran.

She could hear him calling after her as she jumped across the rooftops to put more distance between them. She looked behind her to find that he had made it to the rooftop and was gaining on her. She would have to find a hiding spot if she hoped to keep her identity a temporary secret. And she found her escape rather easily. Below her she could see a haystack in the streets and she didn't hesitate to jump. The landing was by no means soft and she would likely have bruises in the morning but she didn't care. She quickly jumped out of the cart and ran into a dark alley she could hide in. She ducked low into the shadows when she heard the familiar rustling of the hay, knowing he had also jumped down.

From her hiding spot she could see him. She could see that the little boy she once knew had grown into a man. He face had matured into that of a handsome young man and she could just barely see the scar on the right side of his upper lip. His physique was covered by the robes but she knew that he had filled out nicely, just as his brother had. He looked around for her but he could not see her.

"I know you're here. Please show yourself." He pleaded desperately. Her heart broke, hearing his voice and her resolve to hide from him broke. Ever so carefully she stepped out of the shadows, keeping her head down. "Who are you?" She didn't reply, instead she lifted her hands and pulled the hood back from her face to rest on her shoulders. She looked up at him and he gasped.

"Amelia?" He asked, taking a small step closer to her.

"Hello Ezio." She replied, looking him dead in the eyes. She barely had enough time to prepare herself as he rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. She returned the embrace with just as much enthusiasm. "Oh how I've missed you my dear friend." She whispered into the crook of his neck.

"And I you. It's been ten years. When your letters stopped coming I feared the worst had happened. What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like this?" She could see that he had a lot of questions for her but she wouldn't be able to answer all of them right now.

"I know you have a lot of questions for me Ezio but right now we need to take care of your family." She told him and he started nodding in understanding.

"Right. I need to deliver these papers to Alberto Uberti. He will be able to clear my father and brother of all charges in the morning with them." He told her and she nodded.

"Lead the way. We will catch up once all of this has blown over." She replies, pulling her hood back over her head. He nodded and took off in the direction they needed to go. She smiled sadly after him before following, this time keeping up with him.


	5. Chapter 4 - Amelia

Chapter 4 - Amelia

1476 - Florence, Italy

Age: 17-18

They delivered the papers to the man Ezio had spoke of that evening. She couldn't help but notice the dark figure that had been over Uberti's shoulder when the door had opened. Something was off about the whole situation and she feared the worst when the man Ezio called a friend said he would use the papers to free his father. From years of experience she could tell that the man was lying. But what could she do? She did the only thing she could do. Make her presence know.

Having been hiding in the shadows behind her friend she stepped forward. She glared at the man over Ezio's shoulder and she saw his skin go pale in fear. He was up to no good and she knew it. Ezio glanced over his shoulder at her and her face softened a little to a hard stare. He quit led a brow at her but she shook her head slightly. She walked away and sat on the edge of the well that stood in the middle of the courtyard. Her gaze wondered around the buildings as she came up with different ways to escape the area.

"You alright?" Ezio's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up at him.

"I don't trust that man. He's up to no good." She told him quietly, glancing around him at the front of the house. She stood and started making her way out of the courtyard and up the side of the building. He followed her lead and she gave him a hand up on the roof.

"He's been a friend of the family for years and my father trusts him." Ezio told her and she just hummed in response. She decided not to push the issue and only prayed that her fears weren't correct.

"Do you have a place to stay for the night Ezio?" She asked and he shook his head. She nodded her head and began the walk towards her old home. Her old room had stayed unoccupied from the glance she had taken on the way to the study earlier. They could sleep there for the night to wait for the trial in the morning.

The mercenaries had no problem with the two of them spending the night when they arrived. They made their way up to her old room and when she opened the door she found that there was a layer of dust covering everything. She chuckled to herself when she heard Ezio sneeze rather loudly.

"I hope this works for the night." She told him and he looked over at her with a smile on his face.

"How many men have the pleasure of saying they've been in your room?" He asked, a mischievous look on his face as he walked over to her bed. He plopped down on the mattress and a cloud of dust came up around him causing a violent sneezing fit. She laughed from her spot by the window and he glared at her as he continued to sneeze. Once he had recovered he looked over at her and smirked. "Or have had the pleasure of being in your bed?"

"You would be the first Ezio." She snorted, knowing exactly what he was insinuating. He hadn't changed a bit. Even though the subject of his jests had dramatically changed his dry humor had not. She looked over at him and saw the blush on his cheeks, having realized what she had actually said. "Does my virtue scare you?" She teased and he scowled.

"If you weren't one of my dearest friends this would be a different situation." He coughed. She looked over at him with a questioning look before she waved him off. She wanted to changed the subject but nothing came to mind that they could talk about.

"Why are you here Amelia? Why now after all this time?" He asked after a pregnant pause. She looked over at him with a sad look in her eyes. She hadn't talked about it with anyone. She hadn't truly told anyone what had happened and she didn't know how. She had locked all that pain and grief I'm her chest and now standing here in front of her dearest friend she could feel it bubbling up in her chest. He noticed her sudden change and stood from the bed. He was by her side in an instant, a gentle hand rubbing her upper arm.

"My father sent me to deliver these pages to your father." She told him, pulling the papers from her robes. He let go of her arm and looked the papers over.

"My father had a similar one in the chest where I found the paper to clear his name." He told her. She nodded and he took her silence to heart. She knew he could tell something was wrong but she couldn't bring herself to tell him what had happened.

"Where is your father Amelia?" That was all it took to break the damn and suddenly she was collapsing in his arms. He caught her and she slipped to the floor, the weight of her grief making her knees go limp. The tears welled in her eyes as she looked Ezio in the eyes. She didn't have to say anything to him before she found herself wrapped in his arms. He had understood what had happened without her having to say a single word. They stayed in each other's embrace for a while as the tears leaked onto her cheeks.

"I went out with him on one of his missions." She bag an to explain as she pulled away to look him in the eyes. "We were looking for another page and I was his back up. He had me on the rooftops out of the way and I got distracted momentarily. But it was enough time for someone to stab him when he wasn't looking. He died in my arms not a month ago." She explained and but the time she finished only a few stray tears fell from her eyes that Ezio wiped away for her. She leaned into his touch as she sniffed.

"Do not blame yourself for his death Amelia." He told her and she smiled remembering that her father had said the same words to her before he died.

"I try not to. I know that it must have been his time but I was there and I could have done something to try and stop it." She explained. "I think I am more angry with myself that I allowed myself to get so distracted."

"You must not dwell on it." He told her and she nodded.

"You're the first I've told the whole story to." She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"And you know you can always come to me with such things. What are friends for hmm?" He pulled her back to his embrace and she sighed, wrapping her arms around his waist. It had been nearly a month since she had, had any intimate human contact and she found Ezio's embrace rather comforting.

They stayed this way until her foot fell asleep and she had to get up and walk around. Ezio laughed at her minor discomfort and she rolled her eyes. She hobbled around for a few minutes before she plopped down on the floor and made herself comfortable. After Ezio's dusty encounter with the bed earlier she decided that it would be better to sleep on the floor. He joined her soon after and she quickly found herself falling into a much needed sleep.

They woke the next morning and Ezio led them to the Piazza Della Signoria. The square was packed with civilians and they had to push their way through to see. At the center of the courtyard was a platform where Uberto Alberti stood with another man. What made her heart drop to her stomach, was the sight of the three nooses that hung from the cross beam above the platform and the three figures that stood lined behind them, chained.

This was not good, she thought to herself as she saw the face of the three figures. Giovanni, Federico and little Petruccio stood waiting for their trial but she knew they weren't going to leave this courtyard alive. The nooses that hung, swaying in the slight wind would not have been there if the trial had found them innocent. Clearly, this gathering was a death sentence.

"Ezio we need to get closer." She whispered to him. He didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken, instead he began moving forward with purpose, pushing people out of the way. She follow the path he created but he was barely making a dent. They were still too far from the platform to do anything.

"Giovanni Auditore. You and your accomplices stand accused of the crime of treason. Have you any evidence to counter this charge?" Uberto announced loudly and the crowd hushed. She saw Ezio pause in his movements and she gave him a sight push in the back to get him moving again. They had no time to waste.

"Yes, you have it all in the documents that were delivered to you last night!" Giovanni exclaimed. She could tell that he was beginning to realize that he had been betrayed.

"I know of no such documents, Auditore." Uberto replied and she shoved passed Ezio who has stopped once again. She grabbed his hand and began yelling at the people to move out of the way as Uberto announced the death sentence. She watched as the guards reached for Petruccio but Federico stepped in the way and he was the first to be led to the gallows. She couldn't watch as the rope was put around his neck and the platform below his feet disappeared. She heard the rope snap as he hit the end and she cringed.

"No!" Ezio yelled behind her and she pushed herself even harder to reach close enough to throw a knife.

Petruccio was next and she stopped. She let out a loud bellow, scaring the crowd. They parted from her and just as the platform disappeared from below the young boys feet she threw her knife. Her heart stopped for a moment as the blade flew threw the air and she momentarily questioned her aim. She let out a breath as the knife cut through the rope and he fell to the pavement below. She dashed forward, Ezio hot on her heels.

"Guards! Guards! It's the other Auditore! Seize him!" Uberto bellowed.

"Take care of your brother. I'll get your father." She ordered Ezio and she didn't wait to hear his protests as she unsheathed her sword and jumped up onto the platform. She quickly took care of the guards on the platform, stealing the keys off of one of them in the process. She ran to Giovanni who gave her an odd look as she found the key to unlock his shackles. Knowing he would need a weapon she pulled her fathers sword from her belt and handed it to him.

"I'm going to want that back." She told him and he nodded before he followed her off the platform to meet up with Ezio. Petruccio was in his arms and he looked at her wide eyed as she stopped next to them.

"What do we do now?" Ezio questioned. And she laughed at him.

"We run of course! Go! I will follow." She ordered and his father had the sense to follow her instructions. She brought up the rear of their small pack.

She saw the two guards that were coming towards them but she had also seen their allies. Before they had left that morning she had asked the mercenaries to follow them and help if they came into any trouble. Giovanni had also seen this and ran past the guards who attempted to cut them down. One of the blades caught her upper arm and she hissed. However, she forced herself to ignore the pain and continue on.

She didn't know for how long they ran but by the time the had stopped she was feeling light headed from blood loss. They stopped in a small sheltered garden with a well and a few benches. She slumped the the ground, leaning against the well to catch her breath. A shadow fell over her and she looked up into the eyes of Giovanni himself.

"My family is on your debt. Why is it you saved us?" He asked, crouching down. She looked at him funny before she realized that her hood was still up. He hadn't actually seen her face yet. She reached up and pulled it back to reveal her face. She looked up at him and she saw recognition in his eyes. "Amelia?! My have you grown. What are you doing here child? Where is your father?" He exclaimed.

"He has passed from this world. He sent me to you with codex pages." She explained. His eyes softened in understanding and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It seems I got here just in time too. ...I am sorry about Federico. I tried..." Giovanni hushed her apology and gave her a slightly stern look.

"You performed wonderfully. I could not ask for more than the gift you have given my family with your actions." He told her and she nodded. "Knowing that your father has passed I can only assume that this was his." Giovanni states as he held the blade out for her. She nodded her head and slowly stood, though she stumbled a little. She sheathed her own sword before taking the older blade from him and doing the same.

"We mustn't linger here." she spoke softly, turning to Ezio. "Where are your mother and sister?"

"Annetta took them to her sisters." Ezio replied, shifting the young boy in his arms who had fallen asleep.

"I know where to go. Come." He exited the garden and they quickly followed. She fell into step with Ezio and they walked in silence to find the remnants of the Auditore family.


End file.
